A positive view from young professionals building their careers

Tag Archives: job hunting

Remember the teacher that would ask for a volunteer and when everyone in the class eagerly raised their hands he would select someone and tell them that they just volunteered to do extra homework? Oh, you sneaky teacher. You got us every time. The lesson that we were supposed to learn from this was that you shouldn’t accept something until you have all the information. Now fast-forward fifteen years. A place that you recently interviewed at has called to offer you a job. Your instinct might be to say yes immediately, but what exactly are you saying yes to?

After weeks of resume writing, networking, and interviewing, receiving a job offer is an exciting moment. You did it! You’re in! What are you waiting for? Say yes! While saying yes means the end to unemployment and the beginning to a new and exciting career, it’s important to take time to analyze the offer. Some employers may make verbal job offers, but it’s important to have an official written document that details the position and the compensation package. Here are some reasons why:

– A written offer ensures that the details discussed throughout the interview process are the same as what you are being offered

– A written offer allows you to evaluate the compensation package and decide if it’s sufficient to meet your financial obligations

– If you have received multiple job offers, having the offers in writing makes it easier to compare the terms of employment and compensation packages of each company

Once you receive a written job offer, carefully read and analyze this document so that you can make an informed decision as to whether or not to accept the job. Once you decide, let the company know right away.

In my case, for the job I was offered I was emailed two documents. The first was a full job description of the position that I was being offered. This allowed me to ensure that the responsibilities were the same as what was discussed throughout the interview process. I also received an official offer letter. This included information such as position title, supervisor, and start date. The letter also detailed the position’s compensation package, including base salary, retirement plans, medical and dental plan, etc. As the offer aligned with details discussed in my interviews I knew that the company was transparent, professional, and responsible.

The bottom line is that job offers and acceptances should be in written terms. If you are in limbo between being told you will be hired and receiving a written offer, I encourage you to continue job searching in the meantime. After all, your arm will get tired if it’s in the air too long while you’re waiting for your sneaky teacher to call on you to volunteer.

Job hunting is like a roller coaster. You have to complete a series of ups, downs, loops, and corkscrews before you’re done with the ride. Your highest moments might be meeting a great contact at a networking event or being asked to interview for a position. The lowest times are probably when you are rejected for a position that you wanted. So how do you handle rejection in your job search? Gracefully? Begrudgingly? Bitterly? Even though you might not want to, it’s important to respond positively and professionally to rejection. You never know, it might even help you to land the job after all.

I fell in love with one of the places I applied to. The company was in an industry in which I wanted to work, the job description lined up with what I wanted to do, and employees had given the company positive reviews online. I submitted an application and was eventually called in for an interview. After two interviews, my positive impressions of the company were confirmed and I knew that I wanted to work there. I loved it. I wanted it.

I was called about one week after I had my second interview and informed that I would not be receiving the position. My application would be put on hold in the event that a position opens in the future. From application to my final interview I had waited two months for this call. It wasn’t what I was expecting to hear. Rejection in the job hunt hurts. You invest a lot of time and energy trying to get a position for which you know you are a well-qualified candidate. Yet you essentially lose to someone else. Yuck.

Even though I was disappointed, I called the human resources manager, asked her some questions about what being “on hold” meant, reiterated my interest in working for the company, and thanked her for her time. I thought it was a closed door at that point and decided to move on in my search. About one week later I received a call from the same company offering me a job.

Had I cut off correspondence or responded negatively, I doubt I would have been given a second thought when the position was re-opened. I believe my decision to react to rejection positively and maintain my goodwill with the company helped me to get the job in the end.

I encourage any job seeker to respond to rejection in a positive and professional manner. It can be as simple as writing a short letter in which you thank the company for the opportunity to interview and reiterate your interest in working for the company. By doing this you are demonstrating professionalism and keeping the door open for future opportunities. Furthermore, I think it’s emotionally healthy. Having your final correspondence with a company be positive helps you to move forward with a positive attitude.

What a rascal that resume can be. Love it or hate it, you need it. It’s what a recruiter or hiring manager will quickly scan to determine in a matter of seconds whether or not you are qualified for the job. Knowing this, it was one of the first things I focused on at the start of my job search. Even though I hadn’t looked at my resume in over 3 years, it was easy to find. My computer hard-drive is kind of like library data-base, as opposed to a hoarder’s basement. Things have their places. I quickly found and opened the document and skimmed what I was working with [insert twisted, scrunchy, sour face here]. I’ve gotten jobs based off of THIS? It was prehistoric. I had some work to do.

Anyone who has sought help on resume-writing through a website, an organization, or a consultant knows that the world does not lack an amount of opinions on how to write a stellar resume. 10 things you should do this, 15 mistakes to avoid that, and so on. The two biggest takeaways that I have learned and applied to my resume throughout my job search are this: focus on results and tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for.

A big mistake I had made in the past was that my work experience detailed my responsibilities and duties within a role, instead of the results that I achieved. I knew that mumbo jumbo wasn’t going to fly with any potential employer. Solution: replace non-descriptive activities with quantitative results that I achieved within the role. Here are some examples that are on my master resume under my experience as a community economic facilitator in the Peace Corps:

– Secured and managed over $10,000 in local, state, and international grant funding (Results, nice!)

– Developed local workforce skills through the instruction of over 600 hours of business, ICT, and ESL skills (Quantitative, hoo-rah!)

Another mistake I had made in the past was that I would send the same resume to all jobs that I was applying for. It took me a couple failures to break this bad habit. And even then, I still didn’t want to do it. Because the fact that I facilitated the planning and implementation of a recycling program, collecting over 6000 pounds of recycled materials, was cool! And I wanted everyone to know about it!

Realistically, a hiring manager looking to fill an account coordinator position that has nothing to do with environmental initiatives or project design and management, probably doesn’t care about my super awesome recycling center. Ouch. It still hurts to say it out loud. I will say, though, that the companies that have called me for interviews were the positions for which I tailored my resume and only focused on the work that I had done specific to the position that I was applying for. Besides, I’ll just wait until I get hired to tell them about the recycling program.

That darn resume. When I’m not thinking about it I’m working on it. And when I’m not working on it I’m writing about it. It’s really got me wrapped around its finger.

Social media? Networking? I guess I am supposed to know these things since I’m a said “Millennial”. Well the truth is, up until about 2 months ago, I didn’t. But let me back up a few years and start from the start.

I have been used to the good old system of create a resume, submit the resume, get an interview, get the job. It’s how I’ve gotten every job I’ve ever had, starting with my first job as a cashier. Followed by receptionist, receptionist again, waitress, financial analyst, etc. My last job was a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica. Best job I’ve ever had. But I digress.

Around my final 6 months as a volunteer I knew that my service was coming to an end and I needed to start thinking about my career. I started to think seriously about the projects I had done, the work I enjoyed, and what I was truly passionate about. Reflecting on all of these things I was able to come up with a loose idea of what I wanted to do; be a community development, marketer, fundraiser, event planner, person. Sort of. Ok, I didn’t really have it figured out but I knew what interested me and started looking at companies and positions that spoke to my career goals.

Move home. Start applying. No calls. Oh, crap. After about 1 month of applying to places with little response I realized that I needed to change my game plan. I quickly realized that I would have to start networking and get active on some social media platforms to get results.

During my past 2 months of job hunting I have had failures and successes. Not getting a job yet: fail. Learning about job hunting, networking, and social media: success. Attending networking groups, setting up informational interviews with professionals in the career industries that I am interested in, and learning to use social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest has not only helped me to get closer to getting my dream job, but it has helped me to grow both personally and professionally. I know that I will be bringing new skills and knowledge to my future job that I didn’t have before I began my job hunt.

The truth is that job hunting is a process. Especially when you are young professional still trying to figure out your career goals. But it’s a good process. Every day that I research companies, send out resumes, write cover letters, and go to interviews, I get closer to understanding what I want in my career and how to achieve it. While being out of work isn’t ideal, it’s a time to learn, grow, and come out better than you were before. And that is just what I’ll be documenting on this blog. I hope you will follow my experiences, share your own, and that we can learn from each other.